The space that held longtime nightclub Hell’s Kitchen reopens tonight as The Loch’s.
New owner and former Hell’s Kitchen booker Lonnie Reed said The Loch’s will feature a wider spectrum of acts than its predecessor.
“We wanted to do something more welcoming – to any genre of music,” Reed said.
Hell’s Kitchen closed its doors at 928 Pacific Ave. in late June when its four owners could not financially sustain the business. It had been a fixture on the Tacoma music scene for 10 years.
Reed and former Hell’s Kitchen booker Ken “Flash” Connel will handle the booking while former Hell’s Kitchen owner Pat Dawson will manage the bar.
Reed is making changes, starting with the name. “Hell’s Kitchen” had its appeal but it was an impediment to booking some acts, Reed said. He settled on “The Loch’s” after considering turning the space into an Irish or Scottish bar.
“It’s up for anybody’s interpretation,” Reed said. “I just didn’t want it to be too hipster.” Reed calls himself old school and hard core.
Reed also owns RGW Media, a small Tacoma label and booking company. And while he calls Tacoma a “hardcore punk and metal town,” he will be booking indie and progressive acts at The Loch’s as well as country.
Reed also is going to lighten up the interior in coming weeks and change the menu.
He’ll offer fish and chips, sandwiches and salads. But “if you want to fry something, we’ll definitely do that.”
Tonight’s lineup features metal bands Deathmocracy, Helles, A Lesson in Chaos, Where The Dead Are and Psychonaut Deathtrip.
“They were pretty much regulars at Hell’s Kitchen,” Reed said of the lineup. “I’m not trying to shock people with any weird changes. With that first night, I want people to see the bands they are used to seeing.”
craig.sailor@thenewstribune.com 253-597-8541
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